Friday, January 15, 2016

Bon's Book Club 2016: Let's Vote!

This post has been a long time coming, but here it is! Let's finally vote on our 2016 book club selections, shall we?

Just to remind you all that January's selection has already been chosen... we are reading These is My Words by Nancy Turner and we will discuss that here on the blog on January 28. I cannot wait. If you haven't started reading yet, there is still time! You will love this book, I promise!

That leaves us with February through November to choose books for. Ten books! (No December book because that month is just way too much of a struggle.)

You guys nominated your favorite books in this post so it's time to vote! Here's a little bit of info about each book so that you can decide if you want to read it or not.

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik BackmanIn this bestselling and delightfully quirky debut novel from Sweden, a grumpy yet loveable man finds his solitary world turned on its head when a boisterous young family moves in next door. A feel-good story in the spirit of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry and Major Pettigrew's Last Stand, Fredrik Backman's novel about the angry old man next door is a thoughtful and charming exploration of the profound impact one life has on countless others.(Review from goodreads)

The Storied Life of AJ Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin
No summary on Goodreads. Is said to be similar to A Man Called Ove. Can anyone else offer info on this one in the comments?

The Mountain Between Us by Charles Martin
I can't find a short summary, but it sounds like it's basically about two people who get stuck in the mountains and how they find their way out + also maybe fall in love. I know I'm really selling these, right?

The Nightingale by Kristin HannahIn the quiet village of Carriveau, Vianne Mauriac says goodbye to her husband, Antoine, as he heads for the Front. She doesn’t believe that the Nazis will invade France...but invade they do, in droves of marching soldiers, in caravans of trucks and tanks, in planes that fill the skies and drop bombs upon the innocent. When France is overrun, Vianne is forced to take an enemy into her house, and suddenly her every move is watched; her life and her child’s life is at constant risk. Without food or money or hope, as danger escalates around her, she must make one terrible choice after another. (Full summary on goodreads)So You've Been Publicly Shamed by Jon Ronson
There's no question this was the year's best book about media and culture- maybe even the best of the decade. Not only is it provocative and insightful, but the idea—interviewing and focusing on people who have screwed up and found themselves in the midst of massive online controversies—is one I am genuinely jealous of. Ronson proceeds to write about it with such sensitivity, empathy, humor and insight that I was blown away. (Full review here: http://thoughtcatalog.com/ryan-holiday/2015/12/3-books-ok-more-than-3-you-absolutely-must-read-this-year/) The Score Takes Care of Itself by Bill WalshEven if you’ve never watched a down of football, you’ll get something out of this book. Walsh took the 49ers from the worst team in football to the Super Bowl in less than 3 years. How? Not with a grand vision or pure ambition, but with what he called Standards of Performance. That is: How to practice. How to dress. How to hold the ball. Where to be on a play down the very inch. Which skills mattered for each position. How much effort to give. And by upholding these standards—whatever they happen to be for your chosen craft—success will take care of itself. (Full review here: http://thoughtcatalog.com/ryan-holiday/2015/12/3-books-ok-more-than-3-you-absolutely-must-read-this-year/)

Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Life and Love from Dear Sugar by Cheryl Strayed Cheryl Strayed, also the author of Wild, was the anonymous columnist behind Dear Sugar until the publication of this book and boy are we lucky she was. This is not a random smattering of advice. This book contains some of the most cogent insights on life, pain, loss, love, success, youth that I have ever seen. (Full review here: http://thoughtcatalog.com/ryan-holiday/2014/12/3-books-you-absolutely-must-read-next-year/)Other possibilities but I'm too lazy too look up more info:Between parent and child- parenting book that was highly recommend to me.Quiet- nonfiction book about introvertsAttachments by Rainbow RowellAnything by Anne LamottAll the Stars in the Heaven (Clark Gable, Loretta Young romance)Major Pettigrew's last stand- recommended by a friendUm... update to this post. I wrote this part of the post last night and then spent another hour finishing the post today. Somehow everything new that I wrote today didn't save because new computer + inept user. It's after midnight and today was the last day of second quarter and I DEFINITELY don't have the energy or heart to rewrite everything that got erased. SO... here's the poll. I encourage you to look up the books that I didn't talk about in this post that are interesting to you... so many great suggestions to choose from. You can vote for any book that you would want to read in 2016- there is no limit. We will for sure read the top 6 voted and then I may hand select a few... I want to make sure we have a good mix of fiction/nonfiction, themes, time periods, etc. GOODNIGHT. And sorry I don't have all the info about all the books. One of those days!I'M SO EXCITED FOR BOOK CLUB!!!!!!!!!!

What books would you like to read for 2016 Bon's Book Club?

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

The Storied Life of AJ Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

The Mountain Between Us by Charles Martin

Room by Emma Donoghue

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd

Why Not Me? By Mindy Kaling.

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult

Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult

The Martian by Andy Weir

So You've Been Publicly Shamed by Jon Ronson

The Score Takes Care of Itself by Bill Walsh

Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Life and Love from Dear Sugar by Cheryl Strayed